Howard County, Maryland Embraces CommandScope Technology for First Responders

Date: 2012-05-26

The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS), a nationally accredited department located in Maryland, has implemented the CommandScope™ All Hazard Pre-Incident Plan program to help protect nearly 300,000 residents in 25 communities. CommandScope gives first responders access to critical pre-plan information, both on-site and en route on their Mobile Data Computers (MDC’s), which includes maps, photographs, utility shutoff locations, floor plans, fire protection systems, hazardous material information and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), emergency lockdown procedures, and much more.

“Our goal was to implement an easy-to-use, county-wide system that would allow all of our emergency personnel – fire, police, mutual aid, and more – to have immediate access to the valuable data they need when responding to a call,” said Captain David Brnich of HCDFRS. “CommandScope will save us critical minutes that could save lives. The latest building data is instantly available on mobile devices in our vehicles so we can coordinate our efforts to quickly and efficiently take action.”

Howard County is located in central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The county’s population centers of Columbia and Ellicott City frequently rank inMoney magazine’s annual list of “Top 10 Places to Live.” Already, Captain Brnich has trained more than 400 personnel to use CommandScope. In addition, the department’s IT and Data Applications Division has successfully imported pre-plans for more than 5,500 commercial properties.

Updating data is simple, and new information is immediately synchronized across hundreds of devices county-wide. The building information gathered and updated by the HCDFRS will be accessible to fire safety professionals, mutual aid responders, law enforcement, SWAT, the local Office of Emergency Management, and hazardous materials response units.

CommandScope is utilized by fire and police departments, municipalities, office/industrial properties, and college campuses across the United States and Canada. Designed with best-of-breed technology, CommandScope’s technical standards adhere to the requirements of both the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Incident Management System (NIMS), which is a template of procedures developed to execute a multifaceted rescue plan to save victims of unforeseen catastrophes.